Here we are, team—a year after the #metoo movement began. And I don’t know about y’all, but I am exhausted.
How? How are we still having the exact same conversations about sexual consent, victim shaming, and due process as when we started? I mean, really, the only difference is that the issues have become more polarizing, especially when we look at the politics of them.
For me, when a man admitted to grabbing a woman’s genitals and was allowed to be the leader of America, I couldn’t fathom the ridiculousness of him being able to continue serving. That same sense of mind-blown bewilderment washed over me when he recently commented on how scary a time it is for young men in America in regards to sexual misconduct allegations. Moments like this make me want to lose my bananas, and if you can’t see why, then what can I possibly say to make you realize the epic, damaging, fucked-upness of his statement?
It’s hard not to feel powerless, frustrated, and exhausted.
And I’m not going to lie: in those moments, I feel like it’s an impossible fight against a system that’s never going to change… so what’s the point?
The point became clear in a moment of complete degradation for America, when Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court.
I was in Parksville, basking in a mid-semester getaway, when I learned that Kavanaugh’s nomination had been confirmed. And I was furious. My beautiful, de-stressed bubble was burst, and I was fucking livid.
How? How was a man under investigation for sexual misconduct just approved to be one of the judicial fibres of America? I wanted so desperately for this time to be different. But it wasn’t.
I wanted to turn off my computer, to retreat back into my false sense of security. But the ability to do that is a privilege, one denied to victims of sexual misconduct who are brave enough to tell their stories.
So, I will acknowledge these brave women for stepping forward, shame the men in power who aren’t taking this seriously, and reconfirm myself to this battle—because, at the end of the day, it’s a battle that needs to be fought.